Product Description

David Wolfe is an ambitious former homicide prosecutor who is planning to run for Congress. A political dinner for the Israeli Prime Minister is hosted by his current girlfriend, Carole Shorr, a liberal supporter of both the Palestinian and Israeli causes. But when David receives a call from Hana Ashawi, a Palestinian woman who was David's classmate at Harvard Law School, he is rattled. Hana was more than a peer - she was his lover. When, furthermore, the Israeli Prime Minister is assassinated, apparently by Hana's partner, David finds himself thrown into a situation with enormous global, political and emotional implications.

'An astonishing book, ahugely entertaining human drama that also offers remarkable insight into the lethal conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Richard North Patterson has outdone himself - Exile is his best novel yet.' BILL CLINTON

'If you like political thrillers with a legal dimension this is a fine example of the genre: a strong story about a real dilemma with colourful characters' Daily Mail

'Every now and then - but a lot more rarely than that implies - you come across a thriller so important that it absolutely demands to be read. This is one...' The Times

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45183 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

Bill Clinton
"Exile is an astonishing book... Richard North Patterson has
outdone himself - Exile is his best novel yet."

the Times
'demands to be read...Patterson has done stupendous research, is
admirably level-headed, eschews sermonising and patronising.'

Daily Mail
'Wolfe is compelling protagonist, honourable, inquisitive,
eloquent'

Customer Reviews

If you only buy one book this year buy this!!
This has to be the best book I have read this year, and I read a lot! Richard North Patterson has crafted a book that examines and explains so much of what is happening right now betweenn the state of Israel and the Palestinians. He leaves the reader to make decisions and does not allow any sort of prejudice to creep in.

However it is not just a book about the troubles but also a fantastic piece of fiction that had me gripped throughout, the characters are well drawn and the narrative keeps you turning the page.

Through reading this book I have learnt a lot about both the Palestinians and the Israelis. I have sympathy with both sides of the divide and hope and pray that in the future they can find a path to peace and learn to live alongside each other.

Mr North Patterson is one of my favourite authors and I have no hesitation in commending this as his best yet.

A great book
I've been a fan of Patterson's for well over a decade now and on his day he is capable of brilliant books. However, of late he's moved from the basic legal thriller to more politically based novels. This can be somewhat of a niche market and some of the books have been hit and miss. Exile, however, is a return to form.

In Exile, Patterson defends an ex lover from law school who is charged with masterminding the assissination of the Israeli PM. The woman is now married, has a 12 year old daughter and is Palestinian, while david, the lawyer is an American Jew. As always Patterson weaves an intricate tale and develops characters that you genuinly care about. He also managed to delve into the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Patterson presents an accurate, balanced portrayal of events in the middle east from the perspectives of both jews and arabs. However, one section of the book details David's return to Israel to build a defence for his client. I felt large chunks of this chapter were superfluous and were placed there entirely to dissect the middle eastern problems, as opposed to it being entirely relevant to the book. That however is my only criticism.

The book, because of the subject area, is heavy going at times but is a fascinating thriller, based largely on an apparent conspiracy theory. Theres plenty of twists and turns along the way with a believable ending. An excellent book - thoroughly recommended

A towering book - excellent narrative and thought-provoking stuff
This is a thought-provoking thriller, based on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. It has an excellent history lesson about just how both sides came to be in their seemingly intractable positions, yet it weaves this throughout a driving narrative based on real characters, with feelings, imperfections and emotions you'd share.

I've always enjoyed RNP's books, having read several in the past. He writes better than Grisham and his legal process is always rigorously researched.

He is also even-handed, revealing the strengths and the blind spots in both sets of arguments and he's arguably very prescient about the nature of the Middle East and the part played by Iran.

No less than Bill Clinton says you should read this book. At Amazon prices, you won't find a better read in 2007 or 2007. Highly enjoyable, compelling and thought-provoking. Buy it now!